Tamalitos Recipes

CHEVY'S SWEET CORN TAMALITOS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the margarine, masa and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Blend 1/2 the corn kernels with the water in a blender until smooth.
• Combine with margarine mixture, stirring well.
• Add the remaining corn, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and milk.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
• Pour the mixture into an 8-inch baking dish.
• Tightly cover with plastic wrap and set atop the saucepan of boiling water.
• Keep pan tightly wrapped and steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Check water level often, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• I have also made this in the oven, setting the pan in a water bath.
• I do not know the temp I had the oven on, or how long I kept it inches If anyone tries it, please add that info.

REAL HOMEMADE TAMALES

Steps:

• Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.
• Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.
• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
• Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
• Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.

TAMALITOS

Steps:

• Prepare husks:
• Soak corn husks in a large bowl of hot water, weighting with an inverted heavy plate to keep submerged, turning husks occasionally, until soft, about 30 minutes. Rinse husks under running water, separating them (and discarding torn, tough, or badly discolored husks). Pile best husks on a plate and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Tear some of the thickest husks into 1/2-inch-wide strips to use as ties. (Keep ties damp as well.)
• Prepare filling:
• Simmer corn in stock, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in milk and purée in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Put chiles and, if using, fresh bell pepper on a rack of a broiler pan and broil about 2 inches from heat, turning them, until skins are blistered and charred, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, until cool enough to handle. Peel peppers and remove veins if desired. Cut tops from peppers and discard with seeds. Separately chop chiles and fresh or bottled bell pepper.
• Sift masa harina with baking powder and salt into a bowl. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Alternately beat in corn purée and masa harina mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until mixture forms a fluffy and moist but fairly stiff dough. Divide filling in half and stir chiles into one half and bell pepper and scallion into the other. Season both fillings with salt.
• Assemble tamalitos:
• Put 1 husk on a work surface, pointy end facing you, and, spreading it flat, mound 2 tablespoons filling (about the size of an egg) in center. Bring pointy end of husk up and over mound of filling and fold sides of husk over filling, overlapping. Now gather the protruding end of husk and tie it with a corn-husk strip. (This little purse will expand slightly as the tamalito is steamed.) Assemble remaining tamalitos in same manner.
• Stack tamalitos, in a crosshatch pattern so steam can move freely around them, in a large steamer basket. (Tamalitos can also be steamed in batches.) Set steamer over boiling water in a deep heavy pot, without tamalitos touching water, and cover with a folded kitchen towel. (Towel absorbs condensation so tamalitos don't get soggy.) Steam tamalitos, covered with lid, adding more boiling water as necessary, until filling is tender but no longer mushy, about 45 minutes. (If any part is still gummy, steam 10 to 15 minutes more.)